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Pope Sends Condolences After Gaza Christians Killed in Airstrike
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV sent a personal message of condolence to the pastor of Gaza's only Catholic parish following an Israeli airstrike that killed five people, including two Christian women.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also issued a statement on behalf of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressing condolences to the families of those who died and to the Christian community in Gaza.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish, read the pope’s message, which echoed a lament from Psalm 13: 'How long, Lord?'
The two women killed, Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter Mary Hafez Michel Najjar, were members of Gaza’s small Greek Orthodox Christian community.
Their funeral was held at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, with about 200 people, including religious sisters, Catholic priest Gabriel Romanelli, and Muslim community leaders, in attendance.
Father Romanelli said the airstrike confirmed local fears that there is no safe place in Gaza, neither in homes, streets, nor churches.
The pastor noted that 62 Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, have died in the ongoing conflict, with 25 of those deaths resulting from violent attacks.
Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, also expressed condolences and said he was praying for the victims and the conversion of the perpetrator.
Pope Leo’s message to Father Romanelli was a source of gratitude and comfort, with the pontiff lamenting the casualties among those affected by the airstrikes.
The Israeli army struck an apartment in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, killing five people, including the Christian mother and daughter, and injuring several others.
Father Romanelli urged prayers for peace between Palestine and Israel, emphasizing the need for an end to the war.
The ongoing conflict has left the Christian community in Gaza deeply affected, with many seeking refuge in churches.
The patriarchate expressed its prayers for the deceased and their families, asking for consolation, strength, and hope.
What's confirmed
- “Good morning, Father Gabriele. Ever since hearing the painful news about Maysa and Mary, I’ve been praying for them, their families, and everyone in Gaza. ‘How long, Lord?’” Pope Leo wrote, echoing a lament from Psalm 13.
- According to Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu Agency, the two women were among five people killed in the early hours Oct. 3 in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City.
- The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also issued a statement on behalf of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who expressed condolences to the families of those who died and to the Christian community in Gaza.
- In his video update, Father Romanelli said he was grateful for Pope Leo’s message and said the airstrike confirmed local fears “that there is not a single safe place in Gaza,” neither in their homes, in streets and their churches.
- “We have had 62 deaths: 62 Catholic and Orthodox Christians who have died in this war,” the parish priest said.
- “Let us pray intensely for the Church, let us pray intensely for Pope Leo XIV, and let us pray intensely for peace between Palestine and Israel,” Father Romanelli said.
- (OSV News) — The pastor of Gaza’s only Catholic parish revealed that Pope Leo XIV sent a personal condolence message following an Israeli missile strike that killed five people, including a Christian mother and daughter.
- 4, Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of Holy Family Parish, read the pope’s “beautiful message” he received earlier, just one day after the missile strike that killed Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud and her daughter, Mary Hafez Michel Najjar.
- “His Beatitude offers his prayers to the Lord, asking Him to receive the two deceased in His abundant mercy, grant them eternal rest in His Kingdom, and bestow upon their families and loved ones the grace of consolation, strength, and hope,” the patriarchate said.
- “Thank you for standing by the parish and so many people who only want to live in peace. God bless, with a warm embrace,” he wrote to Father Gabriele.
- “Maysa and her daughter Mary had devoted their time to serving parishioners and displaced people sheltering at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, providing support and assistance amid the devastating humanitarian conditions facing the Gaza Strip,” Ramzi Khouri, head of the committee, said.
- Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, Palestine on October 03, 2026.
What's still developing
- Among those known to have been killed in the strike -- three women, a young man, and a child -- were two Palestinian Christian women.
- “We heard fighter jets getting louder, then three strikes followed, hitting the apartment and killing those inside,” Al-Jazeera's Hani al-Shaer reported.
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- Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest of Holy Family, shared images from the funeral: “Today is essentially the worst day of my life. I lost my mother and my grandmother today,” Fouad Al-Najjar told Al Jazeera.
- 24, prompting condolences from Poland and Ukraine and appeals from Church leaders not to allow the crime to fuel hatred.
- In a post on its Facebook page, the church said Patriarchal Vicar Bishop Alexios, the church’s priest Archimandrite Silas and members of the congregation extended their “deepest condolences” to the family of the two victims.
- READ: Funeral ceremony for two Palestinian Christians after an Israeli attack in Gaza This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.